Today I want to share a few photos of my new studio work space. But first...a little back story - after almost 19 years of working at my outside sales job I retired this past September to pursue my art full time. I was long past due for a change, nothing is more satisfying than pursuing something you are passionate about!

Initially I "made it work" from my home office but quickly realized my "office" configuration was not ideal for creating art. In my sales job I did not require much other than a desk, computer and storage. (for binders, catalogs and project folders) My former office served me well in that capacity for many years but the room was dark, crowded and not very inviting.

Ideally in my plan, the new studio would be light and airy, have lots of open space to create and mostly I wanted the space to be bright and cheerful. Step one involved getting rid of all of the paper I had collected over the years- not just job folders but personal files as well. All told I was able to throw away (7) 35 gallon trash bags full of shredded paper and I donated 10 boxes of books. That process took a full month. Shredding paper with a small home office sized unit is slow going - my shredder would continually overheat...Next out with the old furniture, and carpeting.

I replaced the flooring with hardwood to match what is already existing in my front hallway, it's a light oak color. After a few coats of paint and some new furniture from IKEA I was nearing the finish! I selected some very simple white tables which I configured into a large "L" shape. This set-up allows for a ton of layout space for painting, printing, etc. I also have a dedicated area for my laptop and a small sewing station. I couldn't be happier with the end result and look forward to spending many fun filled creative days.